Wandering Eyes

What Pakenham Races Where Pakenham Racecourse – 420 Nar Nar Goon–Longwarry Rd, Tynong VIC 3813 When Thursday, January 11, 2024 First Race 5pm AEDT Visit Dabble Thursday night racing returns to Pakenham Racecourse for another year, where a bumper nine-race meeting is set down for decision. With plenty of rain in Melbourne’s south-east, the track has come up a Heavy 8 at the time of acceptances, but with favourable conditions forecast, we should be beginning on an improving surface. The rail sticks in the true position, with action commencing at 5pm AEDT. Best Bet at Pakenham: Lonfire Danny O’Brien’s Lonfire has not been beaten far in two runs this campaign, finishing third at Kyneton on December 14, before hitting the line strongly at Geelong when finishing second behind Regal Vow. He gave his rivals a massive start at Geelong, but the Lonhro gelding produced a strong finish to only just miss out. The Pakenham straight should suit the four-year-old down to the ground, with Fred Kersley no doubt looking to find clear air and letting Lonfire build through his gears. With even luck, and armed with a strong turn of foot, Lonfire looks too good for his rivals in this. Best Bet Race 7 – #4 Lonfire (7) 4yo Gelding | T: Danny O’Brien | J: Fred Kersley (60.5kg) -666.67 with Neds Next Best at Pakenham: Justaboom Justaboom from the Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock has begun his career in decent enough fashion to suggest she should be breaking maiden ranks at start three. The Justify filly worked to the line nicely on debut at Sandown, before chasing home Red Mile at Cranbourne on December 22. Despite being beaten 1.3 lengths last time out, Justaboom managed to put six lengths on his closest rival in an on-speed dominated affair. Despite not being able to reel in the leader, the chestnut filly looks to have a struck a maiden no harder than last time out. Jamie Mott will have her settled up on speed, and from there, Justaboom should prove too hard to gun down. Next Best Race 2 – #10 Justaboom (5) 3yo Filly | T: Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock | J: Jamie Mott (56.5kg) -125 with Picklebet Next Best Again at Pakenham: Hellfire Fresh off a six-month spell, the Nikki Burke-trained Hellfire looks ready to fire on Thursday night. The four-year-old gelding has resumed with a couple of quiet jumpouts as he makes his return to the racetrack, and the son of Hellbent looks to bring the right formlines into a race like this. With a win and three minor placings on rain-affected ground, we know he will handle the conditions in front of him. With form behind the likes of Golden Path, Lounge Bar Rubi and Brung King, Hellfire looks perfectly placed in BM64 company. He will need a genuinely run 1400m event as he looks to get back and run on. With even luck, Hellfire can finish over the top of his rivals, and in doing so salute at a nice price with top horse racing bookmakers. Next Best Again Race 9 – #1 Hellfire (11) 4yo Gelding | T: Nikki Burke | J: Jamie Mott (60kg) +230 with Dabble Thursday quaddie tips for Pakenham Pakenham quadrella selections Thursday, January 11, 2024 1-4-6-7-10 4-8 2-5-6-7 1-2-6-7 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Assembly Bill 5893, which called for an extension of annual purse subsidies given to New Jersey's Thoroughbred and Standardbred Industries through 2029, was passed Monday by the New Jersey Senate by a 35-1 margin. The bill had earlier been passed by the Assembly, by a margin of 73-0, and will now head to the desk of Governor Phil Murphy, who is expected to sign the legislation into law. The bill calls for a $20 million subsidy to be split evenly among the two breeds. The money is seen as a critical lifeline as New Jersey's tracks do not receive revenue from any outside sources, namely from the Atlantic City casinos. Without the subsidy, Monmouth purses would fall behind those offered in nearby states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. “What it does is give our breeders, owners and trainers opportunities through 2029,” said New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Executive Director Michael Musto. “It establishes a continuation of the stability we have now in New Jersey. Thanks to Dennis Drazin [the chairman and CEO of Darby Development, operator of Monmouth Park] 100% of our money goes to overnight purses and that's the heart of what makes racing in New Jersey. It's really encouraging. It's really Dennis Drazin who makes this all possible.” Earlier bills had already guaranteed the subsidy for 2024. The extension will now keep the subsidy in place through 2029. According to the Daily Racing Form, last year, Monmouth distributed $31 million in purses over 56 live racing days, for an average of $553,000 a day, the highest in its history, with one-third of that money coming from the subsidy. As a condition of receiving the subsidy, Monmouth, which is run by the state's horsemen, must issue a report to the legislature, the governor and the New Jersey Racing Commission on how the funds were appropriated. The subsidies appear to be helping as Monmouth has recorded increases in average total handle and average on-track handle three straight years. The average total handle in 2023 was $4,032,648, an 11.4% increase over last year's average of $3,620,719. Monmouth is scheduled to open on May 11 and run a 51-day meet. A 10 day meet of all-turf racing at the Meadowlands will commence when Monmouth closes. The post NJ Legislature Passes Bill to Extend Purse Subsidies Through 2029 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

James Culver has what may be viewed as a second horse of a lifetime in Hoist the Gold, who is being pointed toward the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.View the full article

Who would be a stallion master, eh? Sure it's fine if you have a new horse to show off, or one of the elite few who has truly made it, but pity the owner of the stallion who has just faded from fashion through no real fault of his own, merely overlooked as the stampede rushes on to the next new thing. One can't blame breeders either for showing such interest in the new stallions at stud, for they have yet to be judged (though they will be, just as soon as their first foals hit the sales grounds) and have therefore “done nothing wrong”. Let's not forget that in almost all cases, for a stallion to be at stud in the first place he was a decent racehorse. But there are degrees of decency, from the downright jaw-dropping bred-in-the-purple Classic winner to the Group 3 winner whose precocity and speed are really all he has going for him unless he can throw a nice type in the first place, and then those nice types can go on to do as their father did. That can be enough these days, and there's a separate and lengthy debate to be had about whether that really should be enough. But for breeders trying to sustain their business through a commercial approach, the first thing that matters is how likely you are to be able to sell a foal or yearling well, no matter how much we all know that breeding for the racecourse is what really counts in the long run, as long as that run isn't too long a run, if you know what I mean. Aye, there's the rub. The long-term view can be rewarded with the greatest riches. Breeding a 'Cup horse', for example. Big prizes on big days, or perhaps a big offer from another nation that has already lost its way on the stamina front, or indeed from a major jumps owner if things haven't quite worked out on the Flat. Increasingly, through, few breeders can or want to wait that long. And as one breeder remarked at the recent foal sales, “At least if you have a horse by a first-season sire you know that every pinhooker is going to look at him.” So as we begin our Value Sires series in Europe for the season ahead, we will tackle the newcomers first before we head on, in price brackets, to those stallions who may or may not be suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, which in the bloodstock business often merely means they are no longer this year's 'it boy'. How anyone can base a business plan on such an unpredictable collective whim is beyond me, but that's the challenge faced by breeders when deciding on matings each year. If you are using a currently popular stallion who will cover a large book then you'd better pray extra hard for a corker of an individual if there are any holes in your mare's pedigree or production record. From Paddington (GB) at €55,000 to a handful of sires at €5,000, with just about everything in between, there is a huge range in both price and talent of this year's intake. We are not including a full list of new sires here, and the three which we consider to represent the best value in this division feature on the podium at the conclusion of this piece. Value is relative, of course, and the fee for Paddington is punchy enough but then he was superb last year in his somewhat unusual progression from the Madrid Handicap in a bog at Naas through to that string of four Group 1 victories on summer ground at the Curragh, Ascot and Sandown and then back to more give at Goodwood. You can't really argue with a record that includes the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James' Palace S. (beating Chaldean), Eclipse S. and Sussex S. Mostahdaf (Ire) and Nashwa (GB) had his measure at York in the International but by then Paddington had won six on the bounce, at a rate of a race pretty much every month since late March. His first three dams all earned black type on the track, and we like to see a bit of Montjeu (Ire) on the page, through his Listed-winning dam Modern Eagle (Ger), providing a variation on a theme of Coolmore's other two sons of Siyouni (Fr), Sottsass (Fr) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr), who are both out of Galileo (Ire) mares. Paddington's granddam Millionaia (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) was runner-up in the G1 Prix de Diane and great granddam Moonlight Dance (Alysheba) was third in the G1 Saint-Alary. But his fourth dam Madelia (Fr) (Caro {Ire}) outpointed them both by winning the Diane, Saint-Alary and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, so there is plenty on the page to reinforce his claim to future greatness. It is up to each breeder to decide whether or not €55,000 is a price they can swallow, but it is a pretty safe bet that Paddington, himself a €420,000 yearling, will already have plenty of takers. Coolmore is big on bears this year, and in fact Paddington and his fellow new recruit Little Big Bear (Ire) both hail from Wildenstein families, with the latter being a great grandson of the Hall-of-Famer All Along (Fr) (Targowice). Reinforcing the No Nay Never blood in Tipperary, he did as he was expected and was fast and early. At three, he added the G2 Sandy Lane to the previous year's win in the G1 Phoenix S. in which he was injured. He was then beaten by Shaquille (GB) in the G1 Commonwealth Cup and a further injury incurred in the July Cup brought about his early retirement. Little Big Bear starts out at €27,500. Putting on the Rizz The Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year for 2023 was 'Rizz'. No, me neither, but apparently if you're a regular TikTokker, you will already know that this means “style, charm, or attractiveness, and the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner”, or put more simply is a shortened version of charisma. I don't know the French translation of rizz, but let's go with 'ooh la la', and it's something which Ace Impact (Ire) has in spades. Who among us did not marvel at the way he chewed up and spat out the otherwise brilliant Big Rock (Ire) down the Chantilly straight in the Prix du Jockey Club? Could he stay a mile and a half? Could he ever, just as soon as the afterburners were engaged to propel him past Westover (GB) and Onesto (Ire) in the Arc. Jean-Claude Rouget told TDN in October that he watched Ace Impact's six races through again after he was retired, perhaps to remind himself that, though brief, his career really did burn brightly. Always leave them wanting more, they say, and he certainly did after six perfect races. It's a shame but understandable, as when it comes to launching a Prix du Jockey Club and Arc winner at an almost brand new stallion operation, the time to strike is when he is unbeaten and his last sensational run is still emblazoned on breeders' memories. In contrast, we saw plenty of Modern Games (Ire), who holds that rare bragging right of being a Group 1 winner at two, three and four, and a dual Breeders' Cup winner to boot. He's a proper miler, a Classic-winning one, and it'll cost £30,000 to send him a mare, but good luck if you've been dawdling as it was reported at Darley's open morning on Tuesday that he was full before Christmas. It's not hard to see why as Modern Games is a lovely individual with balance and scope, who joins his sire Dubawi (Ire) on the Dalham Hall Stud roster. His family is one which is increasingly repaying Sheikh Mohammed, who bought his granddam Epitome (Ire) (Nashwan) from her breeder Gerald Leigh. She has given the Godolphin operation the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) among her 10 winning offspring. Modern Ideals (GB) (New Approach (Ire) did not make that list of winners, running only twice unsuccessfully in France, but she has more than atoned in her second job as the dam of not just Modern Games but also his fellow Classic winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and Listed winner Modern News (GB) (Shamardal). Son has also followed father in the case of Chaldean (GB), who is now at Banstead Manor Stud alongside Frankel (GB) and, like his sire, won the 2,000 Guineas and G1 Dewhurst S. If there were two buzz names during the December Sales among those touring the stallion studs of Newmarket then they were Chaldean and Shaquille (GB), whom we will come on to a bit later. Chaldean is at £25,000, which is significantly more that two other sons of Frankel retiring to Newmarket studs with higher ratings this year but, as Patrick Cooper pointed out in yesterday's TDN, he has plenty going for him on the commercial front. Chaldean was a relatively early two-year-old, carrying decent form through wins at Newbury then the G3 Acomb S., G2 Champagne S. and finally that year's Dewhurst before claiming his Classic laurels on his return to Newmarket. We wait to see what his Group 2-winning half-brother Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) can achieve with his first runners this year, but certainly Chaldean's family has been much in the news for his breeder Whitsbury Manor Stud. Five of his dam's offspring have now earned black type, including the Group 1-placed Get Ahead (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who sold for 2.5 million gns at Tattersalls in December. It's a family going places, and Juddmonte will doubtless lend the might of its broodmare band to help Chaldean get off to the best possible start at stud. France Blessed with Enticing Names Had Vadeni (Fr), who was featured last week, been retired after his impressive three-year-old season, it is easy to imagine that he would be standing for more than €18,000 but that is his opening mark now at Haras de Bonneval which could well represent value about a horse who romped to victory in the “stallion-making” Prix du Jockey Club before also landing the Eclipse against his elders. His fellow Aga Khan Studs newcomer Erevann (Fr) can't match Vadeni on performance but he can on pedigree and this son of two Classic winners, with a good helping of 'rizz', really does look excellent value at €8,000. France is not short of new and enticing stallion prospects this year and three worthy of mention here are Mishriff (Ire) at €17,500, Onesto at €12,500 and Bay Bridge (GB) at €6,000. In some respects Mishriff is both fortunate and unfortunate. A badly-placed kick to the wall of his stable last winter meant that he missed all of what should have been his debut covering season. His price has been trimmed from what was his planned opening fee of €20,000, and you get an awful lot of performance and physique for the price he is now. He was a terrific racehorse who moves like a dream. Then of course there's his family, which includes those not insignificant stallions Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB). Go and have another look at Mishriff at Haras de Montfort & Preaux if you're in France for the Route des Etalons. You won't be disappointed, especially as that extra year of letting down before embarking on his stud duties means that he now looks like a man among boys when compared to fellow new recruits. Onesto is a new Frankel for France at Haras d'Etreham. A compact horse whose breeze-up fractions at Ocala belied his middle-distance pedigree, he sent agent Hubert Guy into a similar rush to buy him for $535,000 and bring him back to Europe where he duly won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris. After winning the G1 Champion S. of 2022, Bay Bridge had a frustrating time of it last year. He did win the G3 September S. to bring his tally to seven victories from 16 starts, giving a solidity to his record, which included a close second to Luxembourg (Ire) in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. A later-maturing and powerful individual, the son of New Bay (GB) joins Haras du Mesnil, a stud with an excellent track record. He really should be given some consideration at his bargain fee. Your Guess is as Good as Ours If Mehmas (Ire) is the next Kodiac for Tally-Ho Stud, then who will be the next Mehmas? Could it be a son of Kodiac in the farm's latest stallion, Good Guess (GB)? His trainer Fabrice Chappet thought plenty of him from his earliest days in training, and it wasn't just because he was an expensive yearling at 420,000gns. He won his first two races as a juvenile but it wasn't until his three-year-old season that we really saw him flourish when Good Guess won the G1 Prix Jean Prat and G3 Prix Djebel, both over seven furlongs. Bred by Cheveley Park Stud, he's a grandson of their 1,000 Guineas winner Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo) and he's a well-made individual. At €17,500, he will have the Tally-Ho faithful, not to mention a decent number of the home mares, in his corner. Triple Time (Ire) very nearly made the podium below, but I'm only allowed three spots and it was a competitive field in this division. At £10,000, he has been fairly priced for his opening season at Dalham Hall Stud. Like Chaldean, he is a Group 1-winning miler by Frankel from a family that is clearly going places. Triple Time, winner of the Queen Anne S. last season, was actually rated 2lbs higher than Chaldean but his significantly lower fee reflects the fact that his top-level win didn't come until he was a four-year-old, though he was a Listed winner at two. He was lightly raced, making only two appearances in each of his last two seasons, but he was clearly no slouch and is one of two Group 1 winners from his dam Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), who has so far produced seven black-type runners. The family could be boosted further still this year by Classic prospect Rosallion (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}). Like Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland, England's Whitsbury Manor Stud has a loyal following of commercial clientele along with its own sizeable band of mostly speedily-bred broodmares. With Showcasing and Havana Grey (GB) the stud has had two of the most talked-about stallions in Britain in recent years, which is why one can't overlook the farm's latest recruit Dragon Symbol (GB), who was also bred at Whitsbury Manor. By Cable Bay, he appeared to be a Group 1 winner for a few agonising moments when finishing first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup. The race was awarded to Campanelle (Ire) in the stewards' room and he was demoted to second. Dragon Symbol has won five sprints in total as well as finishing second in the G1 July Cup and third in the G1 Nunthorpe. Could this bridesmaid become the bride, or even better the groom, in his next career, which he starts at a fee of £8,000? There has been a lot going on at the National Stud stallion yard in recent years with the arrival of Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) in 2022 being followed the next year by Stradivarius (Ire). Now comes the Shadwell-bred Mutasaabeq (GB), a son of Invincible Spirit from a solid stallion family which includes Nashwan, Unfuwain and Deep Impact (Jpn), with Baaeed (GB) in the wings. Mutasaabeq, a treble Group 2 winner whose pedigree was discussed in more detail in these pages recently, is introduced at a very reasonable £6,500. The shuffling of the pack which has brought Soldier's Call (GB) to Dullingham Park for his first season in England has meant that there was room for another son of Showcasing at Ballyhane Stud in Ireland. Step forward Asymmetric (Ire), the G2 Richmond S. winner and Morny third of 2021, who returned from a stint in America to win a Listed contest at Deauville last year on the same card that his half-brother Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) claimed his first stakes victory. Speed is what it says on his tin, and there will doubtless be plenty of breeders signing up for that at €7,000. TDN Value Podium Bronze: Mostahdaf (Ire), Beech House Stud, £15,000 As a good-looking winner of both the G1 Prince of Wales's S. and G1 Juddmonte International and a well-bred son of Frankel, it's hard not to think that Mostahdaf is a snip at £15,000. His dam Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a Listed winner who has already bred another dual Group 1-winning miler in Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) while granddam Starstone (GB) (Diktat {GB}) is a half-sister to Goodricke (GB) and Pastoral Pursuits (GB), who were both Group 1-winning sprinters by Bahamian Bounty (GB). It's a classy pedigree which really should be pretty commercial. Perhaps the fact that Mostahdaf didn't race at two has moderated his fee, and he was undoubtedly at his best at five, but if durability and soundness count against horses these days then we are in the fast lane of the highway to disaster. Silver: Angel Bleu (Fr), Sumbe, €9,000 Sumbe has a trio of Group 1-winning newcomers, with the aforementioned Mishriff as well as Belbek (Fr), who should not be overlooked at €7,000. But Angel Bleu at his opening price of €9,000 really smacks of value. On the track he was an extremely likeable individual. Fast, early, but most importantly, hardy. He ran eight times at two for five wins from five furlongs to a mile, including the G2 Vintage S., G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and G1 Criterium International. He may have been written off when a setback curtailed his three-year-old season, but the son of Dark Angel (Ire) was back at four to win the G2 Celebration Mile and Listed Spring Trophy. He's a strong and bonny individual with an international pedigree of broad appeal. His dam, by Galileo, is a sister to Group 1 winners Highland Reel (Ire) and Idaho (Ire), while the achievements of his Australian third dam Circles Of Gold (Aus) (Marscay {Aus}), on the racecourse and at stud, are worthy of their own book. Gold: Shaquille (GB), Dullingham Park, £15,000 Of course none of this matters until we can see what their runners are capable of, but it was hard not to fall for Shaquille when he sauntered out to the new stallion showing ring at Dullingham Park during the December Sales. He was one of the talking points of that week, with many favourable comments from a range of breeders from all over Europe and he thus receives our first gold medal of this series. Shaquille doesn't really look like a sprinter, but that's what he was, and a very good one at that, winning the G1 Commonwealth Cup and then downing the colours of his older rivals in the G1 July Cup. He too can call on Galileo as his broodmare sire, and he is by a long way the best son of Charm Spirit (Ire), who was a multiple Group 1-winning miler himself. Grand-dam Danehurst (GB) (Danehill) was more than useful for Cheveley Park Stud and also very fast, as was the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Hooray (GB) who is from the same family and, being by Invincible Spirit, bred on a similar pattern. If Shaquille's youngsters look and move like him then he'll be off to a good start in the sales ring, and that, as we know, is a first important marker which can then determine his level of support down the line. The post Value Sires for 2024 Part I: New Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first foal by Grade I-winning sprinter Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) was born early Tuesday morning at Keith & Ginger Myers' Coteau Grove Farms in Louisiana. The bay is the second foal out of Multi Strategy (Scat Daddy), a daughter of graded winner Freefourracing (French Deputy). The Coolmore stallion will stand the 2024 season at $25,000. “This is a strong colt with great bone and muscle”, said Coteau Grove Broodmare Manager Jacob Cyprian. “He has a beautiful head with quality. We sold his half-brother for good money so hopefully this colt will do the same.” Out of Grade III-winning Lady Shipman (Midshipman), Golden Pal won seven graded stakes from 5-5 1/2 furlongs, including the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint followed by the GI Turf Sprint in 2021. He also annexed consecutive editions of the GII Woodford S. at Keeneland, in addition to the 2022 GII Shakertown S. The post First Foal for GISW Golden Pal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Strong handle during the first seven weeks of the 152nd racing season has prompted a 10% purse increase across the board, in addition to $25,000 added to the purses of 10 stakes, announced Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Tuesday. “We're extremely excited to announce a 10% increase to our daily purse structure along with the $25,000 boost to 10 stakes,” Fair Grounds' racing secretary Scott Jones said. “Based on the strong early handle returns and continued support from our owners, horsemen, and horseplayers, we are in a position to raise purses.” The 10% across the board purse increase will go in effect with Condition Book 4, which begins with the Thursday, Jan. 25 card (drawn Thursday, Jan. 18). The purse increase includes both open races and Louisiana-bred races. Maiden special weight races will rise to $57,000. The seven remaining stakes–listed at $75,000–have been increased to $100,000: Louisiana Broodmare of the Year, Louisiana Stallion of the Year, Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial, Black Gold, Edward J. Johnston Memorial, Red Camelia and Page Cortez. Additionally, three stakes slated for Louisiana Derby Day (Mar. 23) have been boosted by $25,000. The Tom Benson Memorial, a 1 1/16 miles turf route for older fillies and mares will now be run for $150,000 purse, and both the Crescent City Derby and Oaks will now be run for $125,000. The post Fair Grounds Offers Across the Board Purse Increase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

James Culver has what may be viewed as a second horse of a lifetime in Hoist the Gold who is being pointed toward the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.View the full article

A total of 149 lots, including dispersals from Irish point-to-point trainer Ellmarie Holden and from Whitewall Stables, were catalogued for the Goffs January Sale at Doncaster on Jan. 23. Featuring 81 NH weanlings, 20 NH mares and 48 horses-in-training, yearlings and 2-year-olds, the sale will begin at 10 a.m. Some of the lots on offer are lot 84, a Nathaniel (Ire) half-brother to Grade 1 winner Athena Du Berlais (Fr) (Martaline {GB}); a son of that Newsells Park Stud-based sire and the Grade 1 winner Black Tears (GB) (Jeremy) (lot 92); debut pointer winner Frisby (Ire) (Flemensfirth) (lot 34) from Holden's draft; and lot 158, the two-time winner Lime Avenue (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}), who is a half-sister to G1 Irish Grand National winner Rogue Angel (Ire) (Presenting {GB}). Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said, “It was with great satisfaction that we launched the inaugural British NH Breeders Showcase for NH foals in November last year and it was always our goal to ensure we kept a high standard of entries at this sale's long serving NH weanling session–thus providing two vibrant outlets for the category. “So, to see us catalogue 81 NH weanlings, which feature some outstanding pedigrees and sires, is a great result for the sale and we once again applaud breeders for sending their best to Doncaster. The sale will also host the TBA's NH Stallion Showcase, which will see 12 UK NH sires on show at Doncaster during the sale, providing an extra reason that the January Sale is one not to be missed.” The post Doncaster January Sale To Feature Ellmarie Holden Dispersal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), the Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2023, has been named the Japanese Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year, the Japanese Racing Association (JRA) Award Winner Selection Committee announced on Tuesday. The Silk Racing Company-owned 4-year-old received 293 votes out of a total 295 votes cast by reporters. A flawless four-for-four last term, Equinox equaled his sire's achievement of two Horse of the Year titles in 2016/2017. Beginning his campaign at Meydan in March, the Tetsuya Kimura trainee won the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, and returned to his native land with a thrilling score in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in late June. Benched until the autumn, Equinox won both the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) in October and the G1 Japan Cup a month later and retired in style. Another dual award winner is the 2023 Japanese Champion Miler Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who claimed the Champion Older Female title and the Champion Miler award. A representative of Sunday Racing Company and trainer Toru Hayashi, the 5-year-old won both the G1 Vitoria Mile and the G1 Yasuda Kinen last spring. Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), who was also in the running for Horse of the Year, won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown and was second in Equinox's Japan Cup. Already the champion juvenile filly in 2023, the Sunday Racing Company silksbearer was awarded the champion 3-year-old filly title. Her male counterpart, Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}), won both the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and the G2 Deep Impact Kinen, and was runner up in the other two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown for Carrot Farm Company. G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. and G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. winner Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice) was named the top juvenile colt, and the award is timely, as it was announced last year that his sire would stand at Darley Japan. The Shadai Race Horse Company colourbearer won all three of his starts in 2023. Sunday Racing's Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) was best of the juvenile fillies with victories in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and G3 Niigata Nisai S. in a similarly undefeated campaign. Tops for the sprinters was G1 Sprinters S. heroine Mama Cocha (Jpn) (Kurofune) for Kaneko Makoto Holdings, while the dependable Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) led in the dirt horse category for Godolphin after wins in the G1 February S. and G1 Champions Cup. The complete list of award winners is as follows: Horse of the Year/Champion Older Male: Equinox Champion 2-Year-Old Colt: Jantar Mantar Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Ascoli Piceno Champion 3-Year-Old Colt: Tastiera Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Liberty Island Champion Sprinter: Mama Cocha Champion Miler/Champion Older Female: Songline Champion Dirt Horse: Lemon Pop Champion Steeplechaser: Meiner Grand (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) Special Award: Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) The post Equinox Repeats As Japanese Horse Of The Year; Palace Malice’s Jantar Mantar Named Top Juvenile Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A multi-year partnership between Churchill Downs Racetrack and Sports Illustrated for exclusive naming rights of a new luxury dining experience, Club SI, ahead of the 150th running of the May 4 Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Tuesday. Originally planned as the 1895 Club, Club SI will be unveiled opening night of Derby Week. Club SI is part of the $200 million renovated Paddock Project at Churchill Downs, offering a new luxury equine-focused dining experience with a view of the all-new paddock and paddock runway giving guests behind-the-scenes experiences. The interior design of Club SI will showcase iconic Sports Illustrated magazine covers, editorial featuring past Kentucky Derby races, and a sneak peek into Sports Illustrated's new SI Resorts vertical art. Each year, celebrity ambassadors will act as hosts for Club SI during the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks for a premium race day experience. Open on premium race days, the club will include dining tables to accommodate parties of two, four, six or eight guests who will enjoy gourmet dishes from the curated Chef's Table Buffet, designated wagering windows, private bars and outdoor trackside viewing for live races. Steps from the club, guests will be treated to the SI Enclosure which will deliver a front-row experience of the paddock with covered outdoor dining tables to accommodate parties of four. “Sports Illustrated shares our goal of combining exciting sports moments with upscale entertainment, and Club SI will provide the perfect space to achieve this,” said Mike Anderson, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. Michael Sherman, SVP Media Brands at Authentic Brands Group, owner of the Sports Illustrated brand, added, “It is an honor to bring Club SI to Churchill Downs Racetrack, which has such a rich history that we've showcased through the pages of Sports Illustrated for decades. Club SI will celebrate iconic elements of the brand, while hosting celebrity talent and offering guests gourmet cuisine and cocktails, a unique vantage point of the new Paddock, and a once-in-a-lifetime horse racing experience for Derby 150.” The post Churchill Downs, Sports Illustrated Partner With New SI Club appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program (MTCP) has been scheduled for June 3-7, according to the Maryland Horse Foundation. The online application can be completed by Apr. 19. Interviews will take place in the two weeks after the application deadline and selected participants will be notified in early May. “The Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program offers a great opportunity to see behind the scenes in the various components of the industry from reproduction to racetrack operations,” said Cricket Goodall, Executive Director. “We hope to show these young people that love horses that you can make a career out of that passion.” Graduates of the MTCP are eligible to apply for Career Development Funds, one-time funding that can be used to further career pursuits within two years after the program ends. For more information on the Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program, click here or contact Jeanne Schnell at jeanne@marylandthoroughbred.com. The post 2024 Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program Dates Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wednesday's top tips from the Post's racing teamView the full article

He may only be a 77-rater but the former Kiwi galloper Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) goes into 2024 with a deal of expectation after an encouraging return from a short spell. Jimmysstar took to the jump-outs at Cranbourne on Monday, where he managed to run a comfortable second placing before the heavy 10 surface forced officials to abandon the rest of the card. His managing owner Ozzie Kheir said later trainers Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace had been glowing in their assessment of the four-year-old gelded son of Per Incanto and so hopes were high he could make a significant move up the ratings ladder this autumn. “He’s going very, very well,” Kheir reported. “I think he will be very good. He’s up earlier than we thought, and the stable is rapt with him.” A winner of four of his five career starts, Jimmysstar made his Australian debut at Bendigo as a 67-rater but that victory in BM70 followed by his Cranbourne romp just three weeks later signalled he was a horse of rare talent. But with just a 77-rating, Kheir said the intention was to continue to build the horse’s resume to the point where he is able to chase a big race, potentially this autumn. “He’s still got plenty of time to go through his grades,” Kheir said. “I am not sure what we’ll target with him, but he needs to get his rating up to get into a good race. “I don’t think he’ll be out of place in group company in a few months’ time. I really think he’s got an exciting future. “My view is that he’ll be running at group level whether it’s now or in six months’ time.” Kheir said he expected Jimmysstar would run first-up by the end of January. View the full article

Follow Your Dreams (NZ) (Contributer) has been absent from the winner’s circle for the last 12 months, but he broke that drought, almost to the day, when victorious in the Ken Gray Memorial Reefton Cup (1400m) on Tuesday. The son of Contributer settled to the rear of the pack for jockey Corey Campbell in the West Coast feature as Diamond Girl (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) set her customary blistering pace up front, opening up several margins on the main pack. Campbell pushed his charge forward at the 900m mark to sit parked in the main bunch as they continued to hunt down the pacemaker. They caught the leader with 150m to go and Follow Your Dreams entered a dogfight with Tap ‘n’ Go (NZ) (Ocean Park) down the straight, eventually getting the better of his foe to win by a long neck, while stablemate The Buffer (NZ) (Reliable Man) ran home well to finish a further 2-1/4 lengths back in third in the hands of stable apprentice Danika Wilson. “Both of the horses went well,” said Krystal Williams, who trains in partnership with her father Ken Rae. “Follow Your Dreams was more forward than the other one and it was nice to see him get a win again because he has been out of the winner’s circle for quite a while. “I thought over the last few runs Follow Your Dreams has been really close to picking up that win. The horse he is this time in is a lot better than he was over the winter, we have just been waiting for it to happen.” Williams was a little disappointed in The Buffer’s result, but was proud of her charge nonetheless. “His run wasn’t as good as it could have been. He came a bit wide on the home bend, but he has battled on for third like he always does, he is a tough little warhorse,” she said. Follow Your Dreams is now on a path towards the $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) at Riccarton on April 13. “We brought Follow Your Dreams down to the South Island stable for that mile race later in the year for South Island horses only,” Williams said. “That is something we are going to work towards, but whether or not we get him there I don’t know.” The stable also picked up two further placings on the undercard courtesy of Berbizier (Foxwedge) in the Archmore Contracting/PAC RIM 2021 and The Roaring Tiger (NZ) (Holler) in the Vernon Vazey Truck Parts (1400m). “Berbizier and The Roaring Tiger both went well today. They were quite fast-run races so it was hope for the best and see what we could do,” Williams said. Williams has enjoyed the West Coast hospitality and said she looks forward to heading to the holiday carnival every year. “This is about my 11th year now (coming to the West Coast),” she said. “We have made some very good friends with the locals and we catch-up with them every time we come back. We have made new owners from each time we have come over. We always have a great time and the kids all really enjoy it.” View the full article

The Jockey Club has pledged to extend its “commitment to openness” in sharing figures relating to media rights payments to each of its 15 racecourses and other revenues. The news came on the back of an announcement of increased prize-money of £60.1 million across the 334 fixtures due to be staged by the Jockey Club in 2024. Of that, £31.8 million will come from Jockey Club funds, referred to as “executive contribution”, representing a 66.5% increase across the last decade. In 2023, the Jockey Club's executive contribution was projected to be £31.1 million with total prize-money of £59 million for 342 scheduled fixtures, subject to abandonments. As well as prize-money, a total of £11.7 million has been included in the budget for the next 12 months for the upgrading of facilities. .”It's really important to us at The Jockey Club to continue to be transparent in sharing details of our business performance with industry participants and stakeholders,” said the Jockey Club's chief executive Nevin Truesdale in announcing the intention to share financial information with the Thoroughbred Group, which represents breeders, owners, trainers, stable staff and jockeys. “By agreeing to extend this commitment to provide the Thoroughbred Group with more information around our revenues and costs, we are seeking to drive critical industry collaboration to work together to grow the sport, while also providing a clearer picture of the challenges we face as a racecourse operator.” He added, “Given the unprecedented financial headwinds the horseracing industry is currently facing, we are pleased to be able to announce today that the Jockey Club's executive contribution to prize-money will be increased to £31.8 million in 2024, taking our overall prize-money past the £60 million mark for the first time. “Our mission is to power racing's future and to ensure that our sport thrives for generations to come. That would not be possible without our participants and all those whose jobs not only help British racing prosper but rely on the industry. “So, while we continue to take important steps to improve our business efficiency in the face of significant and unprecedented economic challenges, there is also an ongoing focus on investing across our estate and in participants, which includes a commitment to prize money. This has led us to some very difficult decisions in our financial planning for 2024 and we are pleased to be able to deliver an increase in prize-money investment in these very challenging circumstances.” The Jockey Club's attempts to improve communication regarding its business decisions with the wider industry includes having conducted 39 “transparency meetings” in the last two and a half years with 120 individuals, including owners and trainers. This stance was welcomed by the chair of the Thoroughbred Group, Julian Richmond-Watson, and also by Paul Johnson, chief executive of the National Trainers' Federation. Johnson said, “The announcement from the Jockey Club is most welcome on two fronts. Firstly, amid concerns that the sport's financial headwinds could see prize-money fall from 2023 levels, it is very positive to see that the Jockey Club has been able to deliver an increase. Secondly, and looking further forwards, we are delighted to be able to have agreed on a commitment to greater transparency over finances. We believe that this is an enormously important step in being able to agree commercial partnerships with racecourses, something that we see as a foundation stone for working together to improve the sport's future.” The post Transparency Pledge from Jockey Club as it Boosts Prize-Money to £60.1m appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Son of Galileo returns for his first trial since suffering an injury in November, while Lucky Sweynesse also takes to the turf on Tuesday morningView the full article

After waiting over eight months for his first taste of the city circuit, the jockey will aim to get on the board with two rides on WednesdayView the full article

The ever-consistent Celtic Echo (NZ) (Echoes of Heaven) will attempt to gain a spot in the coveted $350,000 Remutaka Classic (1600m) at Trentham later this month when she heads to Wanganui on Thursday. The four-year-old mare has placed in four of her seven starts to date and trainer Jade Zuppicich believes she has a bright future instore once the penny drops. “She is knocking on the door but she hasn’t quite got there, she is still trying to work everything out,” Zuppicich said. “It just takes her that little bit around the bend to get going and when she gets into the straight she puts two-and-two together and stretches out and starts to work. She is just taking a long time to put everything together. “She goes around in her own little world, not worrying about what everyone else is doing. It is good in some ways but in other ways she just really needs to start concentrating that little bit earlier. “She has definitely got the talent, it is just trying to get her to put it all together.” Zuppicich was hoping to gain ballot exemption into the Remutaka Classic in a qualifying race at New Plymouth on December 29, but had to change tack when that meeting was abandoned and head to Wanganui this week to chase another ticket into the rich Trentham feature. “We were quite gutted that New Plymouth was cancelled because that would have suited perfectly,” Zuppicich said. “Had she won the ticket it would have set her up perfectly three weeks before Wellington. This is obviously going to be a little bit closer so we will see what happens.” “I know she is going to be up against a tough field of horses (in the Remutaka Classic) but she has already been up against maideners at set weights and penalties up against some of those better class horses, and she has shown she can be competitive against them.” Celtic Echo will jump from gate two on Thursday in the Palamountains Animal Nutrition Maiden 2040, a barrier Zuppicich wasn’t overly enamoured in drawing. “She prefers to be drawn out further because then she is not having to try and come through them because she drops back so far. If she can loop around them she is a bit happier,” she said. Meanwhile, Zuppicich is also excited about the prospects of stablemate Ninja Turtle (NZ) (Power), who is close to returning to the races. The enigmatic six-year-old has also been a consistent performer, placing in six of her 12 starts, but she may prove to be harder to place, with her dislike for left-handed tracks. “Ninja Turtle is back in work but she is hard work with her attitude to get out onto the track, Zuppicich said. “But once she is out there she is fine. “We are looking at jumpouts next week with her. We will see how she goes and then possibly take her down to Wellington where she can go down to the start down the chute right-handed, otherwise we are going to have to take her up north because of the right-handed factor.” View the full article

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, which hadn't had a million-dollar mare since 2019, had two reach seven figures during its opening session Monday in Lexington, with 19-year-old Tom Wachman making the day's highest bid of $1.6-million to acquire the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief) on behalf of his grandfather, John Magnier's Coolmore. Late in the session, Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm purchased Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) for $1 million. “I think we've got to be very happy with the way the session turned out,” Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said Monday evening. “We had two million-dollar plus horses, which is the first time since 2019. The numbers were pretty much on par for much of the day compared to last year and last year was a very strong sale.” A total of 225 horses sold Monday for $17,547,500 for an average of $77,989 and a median of $32,000. Bolstered by the two million-dollar mares, the session average was up 7.43% from a year ago, while the median declined 20%. With 97 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 30.12%. It was 31.29% a year ago. Bloodstock agent Steve Young, accompanied by Ramona Bass, was the session's leading buyer with three mares purchased to support Bass's recently retired Grade I-winning sire Annapolis. The session featured a diverse buying bench with the 16 top-priced horses selling to 14 different buyers. Cormac Breathnach and Tony Lacy on Monday | Keeneland “I was really pleased with the depth of the buyer bench here,” said Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “There were a lot of people signing tickets in the ring and a lot of important buyers from America and also from around the world.” Demand for short yearlings, a segment of the market which was competitive at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale two months ago, remained strong Monday in Lexington. Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, the session's leading consignor, sold the day's two top-priced yearlings, with a colt by Curlin selling to Milan Bloodstock for $375,000 and a son of Maclean's Music selling for $300,000 to Muir Hut Stables. “The demand for yearlings was strong,” Breathnach said. “We sold 22 six-figure yearlings today versus 17 for the same day last year.” Still there was a familiar polarization in the market. “The market is very, very selective right now,” said Hill 'n' Dale manager Jared Burdine. “There are no end-users for the weanlings and pinhookers are very professional. They line up on the same horse.” Lacy acknowledged the selectivity in the market, but also saw some positivity in Monday's results. “Quality was very much to the fore,” Lacy said. “I think there was a little weakness on the ones of perceived lesser quality. But in saying that, I think the sellers were very pleased the way the market was shaking out and the buyers found it tough to buy what they were looking for. So, all in all, a good day.” The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. $1.6M Prank Kickstarts January Sale Prank (Into Mischief) (hip 77), never able to follow up on a scintillating debut victory on the racetrack due to injury, had a star turn in the sales ring at Keeneland Monday, selling for $1.6 million to Coolmore. The 4-year-old was consigned by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and StarLadies Racing to that 9 3/4-length victory which earned her 'TDN Rising Star' honors at Saratoga in 2022. “She's a lovely filly and a very good race filly,” said Tom Wachman after signing the ticket on the bay filly on behalf of the Coolmore team. “I'd say she will go to Justify. He's a phenomenal stallion doing it on the grass and the dirt. So I'd say that's where she'd go.” Wachman, the 19-year-old grandson of Coolmore founder John Magnier, said this was the highest-priced horse he has signed for to date. “I'm just trying to learn the ropes at the moment,” he said. Looking like a million bucks! Prank, TDN Rising Star and half sister to Mo Donegal delivers $1.6 million at Keeneland January. #KeeJan pic.twitter.com/2q4lydbpDm — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 8, 2024 Out of Callingmissbrown (Pulpit), Prank is a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo). Bred by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stables, she was purchased for $500,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. “She was a real talent,” Gainesway's Brian Graves said of Prank. “She broke her maiden by 10 at Saratoga when she won by the length of the stretch basically. She got injured and wasn't able to make it back. But she had that brilliance that people want, the type that if you pass that along to your foals, they can be Grade I winners. We certainly thought she had the ability to be a Grade I winner. On the day she broke her maiden, you would have said she was the best 2-year-old in America, colts or fillies. Her figures were among the fastest in six years in Saratoga. And those horses were Grade I winners, so the ability was there.” Prank's last recorded works came in August and her presence in the January sale was largely an issue of timing, according to Graves. “We were going on with her and she developed a little issue,” Graves said. “And it was obvious that we weren't going to be able to continue on and it was time for her to be a broodmare and dissolve the partnership. So she landed here.” “She sold way above our expectations” After the Ring: Brian Graves speaks on the session topper, Prank, who sold for $1.6 million today at Keeneland January. #KeeJan @Gainesway pic.twitter.com/Tw1mlBP2jJ — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 8, 2024 Graves admitted the filly's $1.6-million price tag exceeded expectations. “The young and beautiful have been selling well,” Graves said. “It's been holding up and we thought she would be in the top end, but that was a bit more than we were expecting.” Prank was the first seven-figure horse sold at Keeneland January since Abel Tasman (Quality Road) sold–also to Coolmore–for $5 million in 2019. @JessMartiniTDN Curlin's Voyage Brings $1 Million Canadian champion Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) (hip 413) became the second seven-figure offering of Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale when bringing a final bid of $1 million from Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm. The 7-year-old mare, who was supplemented to the auction, sold in foal to Flightline from the Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment. “I liked the pedigree, the physical and who she was in foal to,” Nakamura said through an interpreter. “Everything matched up. I liked everything about her.” Curlin's Voyage hammers at $1 million, sold in foal to Flightline to K I Farm! #KeeJan @HillnDaleFarm pic.twitter.com/MwoICWoo8Z — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 9, 2024 Curlin's Voyage, who produced a filly by Tapit in 2022 and a filly by Uncle Mo in 2023, was bred by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale. Racing for the partnership of Sikura and Windsor Boys Racing, the chestnut won the 2019 GIII Mazarine S. and 2020 Woodbine Oaks. She was named Canada's champion 2-year-old filly in 2019 and came back to be named champion 3-year-old filly in 2020. The mare is out of Atlantic Voyage (Stormy Atlantic), a full-sister to Grade I winner Stormello. Asked about his plans for the mare, Nakamura said, “I haven't decided yet. Still in the decision-making process.” Annapolis Date for Bridlewood Cat Bloodstock agent Steve Young, sitting alongside Ramona Bass, signed the ticket at $750,000 to acquire Bridlewood Cat (Street Sense) (hip 267). The 8-year-old mare, in foal to Tapit, was consigned by Denali Stud, as agent for Bridlewood Farm. She now has an impending date with the Bass family's recently retired Grade I winner Annapolis (War Front). “It was a tremendous result, she's a beautiful mare.” After the ring: Conrad Bandoroff on Bridlewood Cat selling for $750,000 at #KeeJan @DenaliStud pic.twitter.com/PJQ6NI5tdO — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) January 9, 2024 “She was bought for the Bass family with the intention to give Annapolis the best mare support he could possibly get,” Young said. “She is a terrific, talented horse who won her first two races with mid-90s Beyers. She had Grade I talent and is a very good-looking horse on her own. She is probably one of the fastest Street Sense fillies that there ever was, breaking her maiden going three-quarters in :09 and change and she is the type of mare that the family is going to support this horse with.” Purchased by Bridlewood Farm for $750,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale, Bridlewood Cat was stakes-placed while winning two of 10 starts for earnings of $115,090. She is out of Ithinkisawapudycat (Bluegrass Cat) and is a half-sister to GI Spinaway S. winner Sweet Loretta (Tapit). Ithinkisawapudycat is a half-sister to Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Spring in the Air (Spring At Last). “She is from a highly talented 2-year-old family,” Young said. “Her half-sister is a Grade I winner on the dirt at Saratoga as a 2-year-old. Under the second dam is the 2-year-old champion of Canada. And we are going to breed her to an undefeated 2-year-old stakes winner in Annapolis.” Steve Young | Keeneland Bred and campaigned by the Bass family, Annapolis earned his first graded victory as a juvenile, winning the 2021 GII Pilgrim S. In 2022, he added the GI Coolmore Turf Mile and GIII Saranac S. He will begin his stud career next month at Claiborne Farm at a fee of $12,500. “He is going to throw a lot of quality 2-year-olds,” Young said of the stallion. “He's going to throw dirt. We never got a chance to run him on the dirt, but he always trained tremendous on the dirt. This is the type of mare he deserves.” Young signed for My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), with Annapolis in utero, on behalf of Bass for $4 million at the 2018 Keeneland November sale. Bridlewood Cat produced a colt by Authentic in 2022 and a colt by Essential Quality in 2023. Young and Bass returned later in the session to acquire Kaling (Practical Joke) (hip 387), third in 2022 GI Spinaway S., for $650,000 from the Bluewater Sales consignment and closed out the opening session of the auction with Juniper's Moon (Galileo {Ire}) (hip 419), purchased for $625,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency. @JessMartiniTDN Hill 'n' Dale Consigns Pair of Top-Priced Colts Hip 236, a son of Curlin out of 'TDN Rising Star' A Z Warrior (Bernardini), went to Milan Bloodstock on a final bid via phone of $370,000 during Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale. The colt was the second of two top-priced short yearlings to sell within a matter of minutes consigned by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. “Curlin sets records year after year,” said Jared Burdine, general manager at Hill 'n' Dale. “This foal fit everyone's criteria. All of them [buyers] want kind of the same thing and the same five or six people were on the horse. So when it lines up, you get paid on those.” Hip 236 | Keeneland Hip 236 hails from a family of 'TDN Rising Stars' including not only his dam but also three of his dam's half-siblings in Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile), herself the dam of another 'Rising Star' in Under Oath (Speightstown), along with E Z Warrior (Exploit) and J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday). He is also a half to last year's Runhappy Ellis Park Debutante S. winner Justa Warrior (Justify). The yearling was bred by Cypress Creek Equine, which purchased A Z Warrior in foal to Uncle Mo for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale. Just a few minutes earlier, Muir Hut Stables went to $300,000 for hip 200, an Ontario-bred short yearling by Maclean's Music. Bred by Josham Farm's Ted Burnett, the colt is out of Wild N Ready (More Than Ready), a mare purchased by Josham Farm for $170,000 out of Keeneland November in 2017. “We thought he'd in the 100 range,” said Burnett. “He had a few minor vet issues that I thought might hurt him but, if you've got the right horse and the issue is not a big one, I don't think it makes much difference [in the price],” said Burnett. “We have a very strong program in Ontario. So we always find that Ontario-breds have a special market and often we feel that we get a little bit of a premium because of that.” Burnett sold Wild N Ready two months ago at Keeneland November for $60,000 carrying a full-sibling to this colt. @SGrimmTDN The post Million-Dollar Mares Pace Keeneland January Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bloodstock advisor John Moynihan was one of 10 people who survived a plane crash in Australia Monday. “We are okay,” Moynihan texted the TDN. Nine tourists from Kentucky and the pilot all survived the crash of a light plane which came down on the remote Lizard Island off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, according to multiple reports. Moynihan is visible in the video below from a local news outlet as he walks onto an ambulance. According to Yahoo News, the plane experienced a mechanical malfunction shortly after takeoff on its way to Cairns, a city in northern Queensland considered to be the gateway for the Great Barrier Reef. The plane clipped trees on the way down and crash-landed on the island and then flipped, according to Yahoo, while other news outlets said the plane crashed while taking off after clipping the trees. Two emergency helicopters were sent to the site and took four people back to a hospital in Cairns. It was unclear if Moynihan was among that group. Brina Keating from Queensland Ambulance told Yahoo News that the pilot's efforts in landing the aircraft were “incredible. The pilot's clearly done an incredible job,” he said. “To walk away from something like that is just incredible.” All 10 people are said to be in stable condition. One passenger was said to have suffered a broken arm. The post John Moynihan `OK’ After Australian Plane Crash appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Star trotter Muscle Mountain will be staying put at least for now. The giant multiple Group 1 winner is back in work after a setback ruled him out of the NZ Trotting Free-For-All on Grand Prix Day at Addington but driver Ben Hope says the intended Australian trip for the Great Southern Star is off. “We wanted to go to Victoria but being out of a work for a while he won’t be ready,” says Hope. “So he will stay here and race in a couple of the major races here then head north.” Top target when Muscle Mountain gets there will be the TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 12, which his connections hold a slot for so he is guaranteed a start. “It is pretty exciting and knowing he is in the race helps us plan backward from there.” Hope says the last part of Muscle Mountain’s year was disappointing after he was the best trotter in the country for much of 2023. “He missed out in some of those biggest races, like the Rowe Cup and the Dominion and obviously the last one wasn’t his fault (atrial fibrillation). “We realise that opens the door for Oscar Bonavena in the Trotter of the Year title. “So we want to get him back to his best and nail some of those big races this season.” View the full article

Canadian champion Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) (hip 413), in foal to Flightline, became the second million-dollar offering of the first session of the Keeneland January sale when bringing $1 million from Tomoyuki Nakamura of KI Farm. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, the 7-year-old mare, who was a supplemental entry to the sale, was named champion 2-year-old filly in Canada in 2019 and followed up as champion 3-year-old filly the following season. The post Curlin’s Voyage Brings $1 Million from KI Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Matamata trainer Wayne Hillis is looking forward to heading to his home track on Wednesday where he will be represented by a pair of runners in the Waikato Stud 1200. Both Suited and Booted (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) and Sweet And Sassy (NZ) (Rageese) will be vying to break maiden ranks at their second start before heading for a spell. U S Navy Flag gelding Suited And Booted was runner-up on debut over 1200m at the Waikato track last start, following a trial win last month, and Hillis said he has gained a lot from the run. “It was a very good run, he is still learning, he just got caught in the last little bit,” Hillis said. “He has come through it well, I am very happy with him.” Suited and Booted, who will jump from the ace barrier with Matthew Cameron aboard, has been installed a $7.50 winning chance on Wednesday behind race favourite Not Straight Laced (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) ($3.20) who he beat into third on debut. While pleased with his progress, Hillis said Suite and Booted isn’t suited to firm tracks and will be put aside for autumn racing. “I am just a little bit worried as the tracks get firmer,” he said. “He will probably only have this run and then go out because he needs the sting out of the ground.” Sweet And Sassy disappointed when finishing last in a nine-horse field when on debut at Matamata last month and heads into Wednesday as the $31 outsider. “They both won their trial and I thought she won her one better, but he went better in his debut. She was a bit keen, she has learnt a bit from the other day and hopefully she runs a bit more kinder this time,” Hillis said. “I will tip her out after tomorrow too.” Hillis is also set to line-up last start winner Mafia Mamma (NZ) (Belardo) later this week, but has yet to decide on which venue. “Mafia Mama is going to go to either Tauranga on Friday or Ellerslie on Sunday, I’ll just see what suits her best,” Hillis said. “She has been going really well.” View the full article

In-form short course performer Mercurial (NZ) (Burgundy) has been given the green light for another crack at a major prize on Saturday. Trainer Stephen Marsh can’t fault his genuine son of Burgundy, who will take his place in the Gr.1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham where he has previously been successful. The five-year-old will be one of a quartet of elite level contenders Marsh sends south with Double Vision (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Nikaia (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Sinhaman- (NZ) (Tivaci) to chase top age group honours in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Levin Classic (1600m). Mercurial has held his form admirably this preparation with an open handicap win and three placings from his last five starts, including a third in the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) and most notably a last-start third in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m). “I thought he was great, he’s probably not ideally suited to weight-for-age but he is racing super well and he has come through that run extra well,” Marsh said. “We thought we may as well have another throw at the stumps. He is just one of those really honest horses and he’s won down at Trentham before.” Marsh will have a decent hand in the three-year-old race with a trio of lightly raced contenders, including Double Vision who had a couple of placings to his credit before the Darci Brahma gelding led all the way to comfortably break his maiden over 1400m at Tauranga. “Double Vision was very good last start and he’s a progressive sort who will appreciate the step up to a mile,” he said. “Nikaia’s last win was also extra good and she’s trained on well since then,” Marsh said. The Ardrossan filly placed at Te Rapa at her second appearance and then went to Otaki where she overcame an awkward start to open her account. “Sinhaman went over 1400m last time and he needs a mile and a big track at Trentham will suit him,” Marsh said. By Tivaci, Sinhaman was successful at Rotorua before he finished runner-up against older opposition at Te Rapa was out of the money in his most recent appearance in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m). “There’s good depth at the top of the field and then it evens up so all three of mine deserve a crack,” Marsh said. He is also confident of a bold showing from Waikato Stud’s Savabeel mare Mazzolino (NZ), who is in foal to Super Seth, in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m). Successful in last season’s Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes and a multiple black type placegetter, she will take a significant step down in class after her solid performance for fourth in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m). “She’s back from weight-for-age to set weights and penalties, it won’t be as strong as the Group One and she went very creditably in that, I think she’ll be a strong chance,” Marsh said. He also offered his thoughts on the stable’s best midweek prospects at two northern venues. “We’ve got a nice, progressive filly called El Amor and she looks a good each way chance,” he said. A last-start runner-up, El Amor (NZ) (Ardrossan) runs in the Elsdon Park Maiden (1600m) at Matamata on Wednesday. “I really like our two in the Rating 75 at Tauranga on Friday, Academy Award and Financier. They look our best chances there,” he said. Academy Award (NZ) (Star Turn) came off a Te Rapa win to run a solid third at Pukekohe on Boxing Day while Financier (NZ) (Tavistock) hasn’t raced since he was successful at Hastings during the spring carnival. View the full article

The NTRA launched #LoveOfTheHorse, a social media promotion in conjunction with the 53rd annual Eclipse Awards that encourages horse fans and enthusiasts to share photos of themselves that demonstrate their deep connection and love of the horse. View the full article